One set of Great Great Grandparents

This is the Catholic Church in Sapello, New Mexico. Juan Cristoval Martin and Juana Rafaela Valdez or Baldez are burried somewhere close. I am not sure if the current cemetary was in use in the 1860's. There are some very old unreadable gravestones in the Cemetary. Someone might know. If so and you read this blog let me know.

Jusan Cristoval Martin was born on February 15 1789 in Abiquiu in New Spain. His baptismal godparents were Santiago Martin' Serrano and Antonia Vallejo. He died on June 2, 1863 in Sapello, New Mexico, now part of the United States..

His death record indicates he was 60-70 years old when in reality he was over 74. It lists him as Juan Cristoval Martinez. It also states he was the widower of Juana Rafaela Baldez and was from La Junta de los Rios (now called Watrous). He is buried in Sapello, NM.

Juana Rafaela Baldez was born on the 6th of March in 1798 and was christened as Juana Rafaela Valdez, the birth and baptismal was at Abiquiu, New Mexico, her padrino was Lt. Don Pedro Antonio Martin' and her madrina was Maria Manuela Sisneros.

The burial record indicates she was 60 years old but in reality was 64 and 1/2. The burial record also lists her as Baldes and her husband as Martinez and that they were from La Junta de los Rios. She is buried in Sapello, NM. She died on the 10th of October in 1862.

Juan Cristoval was born Juan Cristoval Martin' and married in Abiquiu and at least one daughter, Isabel, was born there. He ended up Juan Cristoval Martinez at La Junta de los Rios (now called Watrous). His son, Teodoro lived in Valles de San Geronimo and Teodoro's son Preciliano was born in Junta de los Rios. Juan Cristoval and Maria Rafaela must have moved with their son.

The 1845 colonial census lists them and their family in Auga Zarca.

I am thinking that Juan and Juana Rafaela were unaware of their ages and their family may have been unaware also.

Note: Both were born in the province of New Mexico in Nueva Espana, he lived in the same area when it was part of Mexico and died when the area was a United States possession.

They did not stand still very much. Having moved from Abiquiu and moved again and again. It seems like historic events just kept running over them